Lagged dependent variables (LDVs) are often used as predictors in ordinary least squares (OLS) models in the social sciences. Although several estimators are commonly employed, little is known about their relative merits in the presence of classical measurement error and different longitudinal processes. We assess the performance of four commonly…

In response to Ebel's article (TM 508 146) the author points out that, in emphasizing what a test is intended to measure, the vital question of what should be measured is set aside. While explicit specifications for a test should be encouraged, questions of worth ought to be prominent in designing and selecting tests. (Author/LC)

This article presents the results of a factor analysis on the distance education surveys "Is Online Learning Right for Me?" and "What Technical Skills Do I Need?" Both surveys are 15-question, forced response, self-scoring guides that have face validity for individual traits and skills believed to contribute to potential success in an…

This study attempts to respond to the suggestions of Stewart and Jones and the criticisms of Sattler and Buckhalt by assessing the precision of the Slosson Intelligence Test (SIT) in predicting Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Revised (WISC-R) scores with a population of restricted range (gifted children), and examining the consistency of…

The nationwide sales force (N=540) of a large food and beverage firm responded to a mail survey designed to investigate the role of value orientation as a moderator of the relationship between organizational rewards and job satisfaction. Of the two main elements in the investigation, the first was concerned with the predictive efficiency of two…

This study is phase one of a 4-year project. It was aimed at examining the predictive validity of six preschool screening instruments on later academic achievement. The six instruments were (1) the Stanford-Binet Intelligence Test, (2) the Sprigle School Readiness Screening Test, (3) the Anton Brenner Developmental Gestalt Test of School…

A 4-year United States Office of Education prekindergarten-kindergarten series of research studies has provided data useful in predicting school success. The present study compares test scores of the Complete Assessment Battery administered before the children entered kindergarten with scores of the same children on the Metropolitan Readiness…

AT PRESENT, THE PART OF ANY TEACHER EFFECTIVENESS CRITERION THAT CAN BE PREDICTED WITH A SELECTION TEST IS PROBABLY IRRELEVANT TO TEACHER COMPETENCE. TESTING THE VALIDITY OF PREDICTORS OF TEACHER COMPETENCE IS IMPOSSIBLE BECAUSE IT WOULD REQUIRE HIRING A SIZABLE RANDOM SAMPLE OF ALL WHO APPLY FOR POSITIONS, WITHOUT PRIOR SCREENING. FURTHER,…

The Vocational Instruction, Training and Assessment (VITA) Project conducted a study to determine whether a battery of tests used with a sample of handicapped students enrolled in vocational education program(s) could aid in predicting success in vocational training. Procedures, instruments, and student samples were selected to provide data on (1)…

Biased tests systematically favor some groups over others as a result of factors not part of what the test is said to measure. Bias is basically a problem of differential validity. Validity can be discussed in terms of either the procedures for establishing it or test use. Both ways clarify bias in any test. For content and construct validity, the…

In an attempt to find a test which minimized cultural bias, three tests were administered to 335 first grade pupils. The subjects comprised 2 groups (123 Anglo children and 212 Spanish surnamed children). The Goodenough Draw-A-Man Test (GDAM) and the Lorge-Thorndike Intelligence Test (LT), Form A, were administered as measures of intelligence. The…

Fundamental problems in the collection and use of data, in particular the need to develop and use criteria for data, are discussed. Specific examples of the use and misuse of data related to teachers and children in the public schools are presented. Two methods of data collection--manifest techniques and formal response instruments--are evaluated…

The Tests of Adult Basic Education (TABE) is a widely used multiple-choice test battery of basic skills in reading, language, and mathematics. The Test of Applied Literacy Skills (TALS) is an applied literacy battery consisting of document, prose, and quantitative literacy tests. The central issue in this study was the relationship of the TABE and…